Tales of the Angel and Devil
by Sir Weston
Summary: Short stories of Phoenix and Kristoph's friendship between Phoenix's disbarment and Kristoph's arrest. See how their relationship developed throughout the years. Were they actually friends? Enemies? Or were they something more? Side stories to my Turnabout Prison story. Please R&R!
1. Sunflowers for the Flowerless

**Tales of the Angel and Devil**

**This is just something on the side I wanted to do while working on my other stories. So, what this is, is a series of short stories from before my story **_**Turnabout Prison **_**takes place, when Phoenix and Kristoph were still friends. Besides this first story which is the first one that takes place shortly after Phoenix is disbarred, they don't really have any order to them. Why am I doing this? Well I had a lot of ideas for things for them to do and while Phoenix and/or Kristoph are going to mention some of these events in **_**Turnabout Prison, **_**I wanted to explore them in more depth. And I didn't want to make them into separate one-shots.**

**Keep in mind this is my version of what their friendship was like so it may not fit with your version. Also, there will be mentions of sex, but to keep a T rating, it will be implied or heavily artsy, if that makes sense. Also, I already have a list of ideas that I'm going to write, but if you guys have any ideas that you'd like to see me explore between these two, let me know! These will not have one set tone, so while this first one may be sad and angsty the next one may not be.**

**With that out of the way, let's begin!**

**1 – Sunflowers for the Flowerless**

Perhaps it was because he had been busy investigating, but it hadn't hit Phoenix at first that he was no longer a lawyer. Maybe he was too preoccupied taking care of Trucy to really concern himself with that. But now Trucy was having a sleepover at one of her friend's house and reality came crashing down on Phoenix.

He was curled up on his couch, tears running down his face. Why was everyone against him? Why had the board almost unanimously voted to take away his badge? This had been his first time presenting forged evidence! And it had been unintentional! There had been plenty of prosecutors who not only presented forged evidence, but also false testimony. And all they got was a little penalty!

The only one who hadn't voted against him was the person he suspected of forging the diary page in the first place. But Phoenix couldn't figure out his motives.

As Phoenix laid on the couch, wallowing in his despair, there was a sudden knock on the door. He sat up, startled. Who would want to see him? Was Maya back in town and wanted to console him or something? Or maybe it was one of the other attorneys or prosecutors come to rub his failure in his face. Either way, he was not in the mood to entertain company.

The knocking continued. It was giving Phoenix a headache. Suddenly, it stopped and a some-what familiar voice rang out.

"Phoenix? Are you there? Are you all right?" It was Kristoph. What was he doing here?

Sitting up and drying his tears as best he could, Phoenix stumbled over to the door and opened it. Kristoph stood in the doorway in his nice suit, as handsome as ever. Phoenix felt pathetic standing in front of him.

"H-Hey Kristoph," Phoenix greeted pathetically, "What are you doing at my humble abode?" He let out a weak laugh.

"I just wanted to see if you were doing ok," Kristoph explained with a small frown, "You looked so defeated when the board took your badge away. I wanted to make sure you were going to be all right. I had heard you adopted Mr. Gramarye's daughter."

Phoenix blinked at him for a moment. He tried to say he was fine. He tried to tell him that he didn't need any help and he didn't want any pity, especially from him. But the words never came. Instead, a fresh wave of tears came to his eyes and he broke down, sobbing.

His knees buckled and he started to fall, but strong arms quickly wrapped around him, keeping him up. He felt a gentle hand start to stroke his hair.

"There, there," Kristoph's soothing voice murmured, "I know it's hard. But it'll be ok. You're stronger than this. I know you are. You'll get through this."

"Oh Kristoph! What am I going to do?" Phoenix cried, "Being a lawyer was all I knew how to do! Was all I ever wanted to do! How am I going to live now? I'm already almost out of money but I have a child to feed and rent to pay!"

Kristoph gently led Phoenix over to the couch and sat him down. He handed the ex-attorney a tissue to dry his eyes before pulling him closer to comfort him.

"I don't know what the future holds for you," Kristoph admitted, "But I will help you in anyway I can. If you need money or food while you look for a new job I will happily provide it. I promise I will be by your side."

Phoenix tried to steady his breathing. Perhaps he was wrong about Kristoph. Maybe he didn't want to get him disbarred and only wanted to help. He clutched the front of his suit and took a steady breath.

"Kristoph, please don't leave me," he whispered.

Kristoph gave him a gentle smile. "I won't," he promised.

**Some of these stories will be on the short side, but others will be longer. I may update this one infrequently as this is more of a side project. But please still leave a comment and if you have any interesting ideas please let me know and I may turn them into one of the shorts!**


	2. By the Way, I Love You

**This next short is a lot less angsty than the last chapter. It's quite a bit more fluffy. With way less crying. There is implied sex in this, but nothing explicit.**

**2 – By the Way, I Love You**

There was the sound of breathy moans and pleasured sighs coming from the bedroom. Two bodies pressed together and became one. There was a huge shudder and the bed rocked against the wall. There was a cry of passion and names were shouted. Then all was silent except for their heavy breathing.

When Phoenix was finally able to get his breath back, he snuggled up against Kristoph's side and wrapped an arm around his waist. His companion threw an arm around his shoulders. Both of them were panting slightly and Phoenix could feel his heart pounding like a drum.

"That… was incredible," he finally declared when he could speak.

"I concur," Kristoph agreed, "I didn't know you could be so passionate, Phoenix. Where did you learn that last trick with your legs?"

Smirking, Phoenix leaned up and whispered in his ear. "I'll never tell," he breathed and Kristoph shivered. He laughed slightly and leaned over to kiss Kristoph softly on the lips. An electric jolt ran up his spine when Kristoph kissed him back.

Phoenix and Kristoph had been together for two months now. Phoenix didn't really know what they were at this point. They called each other friends but for a few weeks now they had been regularly sleeping together. Were they friends-with-benefits now? Or as Larry would call it, fuck buddies?

His thoughts were pushed from his mind as Kristoph started kissing him more and he had to reciprocate. He threw his arms around the other's neck and kissed him deeper. When they pulled away again they looked into each other's eyes.

Phoenix couldn't stop the words from spilling out of his mouth.

"I love you," he murmured.

Kristoph's body tensed slightly but relaxed in a millisecond. He gave Phoenix a gentle smile. "I love you, too," he whispered.

Without another word, they kissed again and soon they were back to making passionate love to each other.

**I swear not all of the chapters will be this short. The next one will be a lot longer. I just had this idea and I wanted to get out there. But at least you get two chapters in one day!**


	3. Ye Olde Moments

**Now for something incredibly silly! My friend, Fluxit_Aqua_et_Sanguine helped me come up with this idea. AND I LOVE IT! It just stemmed from my head cannon of "Kristoph doesn't believe in finger foods or eating with his fingers" and it just sort of spiraled from there. Enjoy!**

**BTW, Trucy is still pretty young in this, so excuse her childish behavior.**

**3 – Ye Olde Moments**

Kristoph should've never asked Phoenix what he wanted for his birthday.

He had expected his friend to request a quiet evening at home. Maybe a nice dinner or a bottle of fancy wine. Hell, Kristoph was even willing to break out his comfort zone and try something extra kinky for sex if Phoenix really wanted it. Something like that.

He was not, however, expecting Phoenix to grin wildly and exclaim "I want to go to that restaurant, Ye Olde Moments!"

As soon as he said this, Kristoph knew he was going to have a miserable day. While he had never been to the place himself, he knew what it was about. A costly family restaurant with a medieval theme because apparently experiencing one of the worst periods in history was supposed to be "fun."

Because Kristoph was the one with a driver's license, he was the one who had to drive Phoenix, Trucy, and himself to the restaurant. While they drove the Wrights chatted about how much fun this was going to be while he focused on staying silent and not purposely driving the car off the highway into a ditch. When they got there, Kristoph cringed at the sight of the building. It was built up to look like the most cliché, fairy-tale version of a castle ever. A sign over the door read "An _authentic _Medieval experience!" There was a wildly inappropriate giant derpy cardboard dragon sticking its head out of the top.

None of this seemed to bother Phoenix or Trucy, though. Nor did the swarms of families with young children filing into the building. It bothered Kristoph, though. They were going to stick out like a sore thumb. People were going to assume he and Phoenix were married and Trucy's parents. And while he and Phoenix were "together" in a sense, he never liked people making assumptions about him.

Before Kristoph could decide to simply get back in the car and drive off, Phoenix grabbed his hand. "Come on, Kris!" he exclaimed, "The night's not getting any younger! Let's go in!"

"This is going to be so much fun, daddy!" Trucy said giddily, "My daddy was telling me about this place! They have kings and queens and princesses and knights and wizards and tournaments! Do you think I should break out one my magic tricks to impress one of the knights?"

Phoenix let out a hesitant laugh. "How about we just let the knights do their thing, ok sweetie?" he suggested.

"Ok daddy!" Trucy responded cheerfully. She then skipped ahead a little to get in line to enter.

"Gotta keep your eye on that one," Kristoph observed. Phoenix chuckled.

"Yeah, she's a little trouble-maker all right," he agreed, "But I adore her. I couldn't live without her." Kristoph made a noise of agreement as they moved to stand in line.

Eventually they managed to make it inside and somehow it was even worse than the outside. Tacky décor was hung up everywhere to give the impression of a renaissance faire. It was obnoxious and a disservice to the time period they were trying to imitate. Kristoph was sure he was going to be physically ill. There was a pile of fake gold children could have their pictures taken in front of, and actors dressed in costumes that Hollywood thought people in the Medieval period dressed. Of course, any proper historian could tell them they were wrong. The colors weren't nearly as bright as they were in this place.

"Isn't this great, Kris?" Phoenix asked, nudging Kristoph in the side, "It's like we're stepping back in time!"

"Not really," Kristoph argued grumpily, "It feels more like we're stepping onto the backstage of some kid's fantasy show. Run by a producer who has no idea what this time period was like."

"Oh, cheer up," Phoenix laughed, "It's all in good fun! It's not really about the historical accuracy anyway!" Kristoph huffed but didn't say anything more.

Because it was a birthday gift for Phoenix, Kristoph had to pay for the three of them, and it was quite a bit pricier than he would have liked. Trust Phoenix to pick something expensive because he could. After Kristoph paid, the three were each handed a folder that contained a "gift package" that included a photo of the knight who's section they were going to be sitting in, a keychain of the derpy dragon, a ticket to get a free group photo, and coupon for 5% off at the gift shop. Because of course this place had a gift shop.

"See? Aren't you glad you came now, Kris?" Phoenix asked, holding the springy derpy dragon keychain up in Kristoph's face. The attorney regarded it with disdain.

"Oh yeah. This is _so _much fun," he said sarcastically, "So glad I just shelled out 170$ for this."

"It gets even better!" Trucy exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly, "The show hasn't even started yet! There's so much to do before then!"

"Goody," Kristoph muttered.

The "so much to do before then" according to Trucy, mostly consisted of wandering around, looking at the hideous decorations, and perusing the over-priced gift shop. Trucy wanted to buy pretty much everything, but luckily for Kristoph's wallet, Phoenix managed to talk her down to picking out one thing. She decided on "Mondo's Magic Wizard Wand" which did eighteen different magic tricks and Kristoph had to resist pointing out that wizards never existed. As an extra gift for Phoenix, Kristoph decided to get a small knight figure wielding a sword and shield.

When he presented it to Phoenix, Kristoph told him, "you're my knight in shining armor." Which caused Phoenix to fling his arms around him and kiss him deeply, ignoring the people around them.

After that, the show was finally ready to start, so everyone was ushered to their seats. There were six knights in the tournament: a diamond knight, a rose knight, a heart knight, a spade knight, a club knight, and a star knight. Kristoph, Phoenix, and Trucy were put in the Rose Knight's section, which had gaudy rose patterns all over the seats, tables, and walls. In fact, the seats were shaped like roses. Not that the other sections were any better.

A waitress that looked like she came straight out of a fantasy porno (how was this family friendly!?) came to take their order. The items on the menu were so obscure and trying too hard to be thematic that Kristoph had no idea what any of them were. Also, there was absolutely nothing alcoholic whatsoever. Which was a shame because he had a feeling he would have to be drunk to get through this. So, he just let Phoenix order for him.

When they got their drinks (Kristoph still not knowing what it was,) he suddenly noticed something missing. Something very important.

"Um, excuse me," he called to the waitress, "Where's our silverware?" There was a chuckle next to him and he cast a surprised look at Phoenix.

"Silly Kris!" he laughed, "This is 'ye olde moments!' There wasn't any silverware in ye olde moments! Duh!"

Kristoph stared at him with wide, horror filled eyes. His left one twitched. "Phoenix," he said slowly, "Why would bring me here? You know I feel about eating without utensils!" His friend grinned at him.

"Yup!" he exclaimed, "I thought it would be good to get you out of your comfort zone for once!"

Growling, Kristoph made to stand up and leave, but Phoenix grabbed his arm. "You're not leaving, are you?" he asked, worriedly.

"Phoenix, I can't eat with my hands, it's undignified," Kristoph told him, "If we were meant to use our fingers to eat, man never would've invented the fork."

"Come on, Kris!" Phoenix pouted, "Please stay! It won't be fun without you! And you're our ride home!"

Kristoph narrowed his eyes at him but slowly took his seat. At that moment the knights finally came out into the arena. An explosion of cheers erupted from the stands, practically causing Kristoph to go deaf. He covered his ears, trying to deafen the sound.

The knights trotted around on their horses until they stood in front of their sections. The Rose Knight flashed them all a dazzling smile that could rival Klavier's, then he produced a whole bouquet of red carnations, seemingly out of nowhere. He started tossing them out to the crowd of screaming girls. Then he caught sight of Kristoph and his smile broadened.

"My compliments to the fair maiden!" he called as he threw the carnation at Kristoph. It smacked the annoyed blond in the face.

Kristoph glared down at the knight as he picked up the flower. "I'm not a 'maiden,'" he growled under his breath. Then he observed the flora that had been flung at him. To Phoenix's surprise, he seemed to grow angrier. "Seriously!?" he snapped, "A Rose Knight that doesn't even throw roses!? This is a carnation! Just because it's red doesn't make it a rose!"

"You could've fooled me," Phoenix mumbled who only knew like two flower types: sunflowers and that other one. He was surprised when, once again, Kristoph stood up to leave. Again, Phoenix grabbed his arm.

"Kris! You promised you'd stay!" he whined.

"I didn't promise anything," Kristoph pointed out, "This is getting to be too much for me, Phoenix. I can't take much more of this. And I'm going to starve."

"We'll go to another restaurant with a fork and knife and everything after this just for you!" Phoenix bargained, "We'll go wherever you want! Just please stay for the rest of the show! It's my birthday!"

Kristoph glowered at him. Curse him for pulling out the birthday card! Breathing out slowly and forcefully through his nose, he sat down again. "Fine, I'll stay the whole time," he relinquished, then he lowered his voice, "But you're not getting sex tonight."

Phoenix blinked at him, then entwined his fingers, then held his hands out like balance beams, as if he was weighing his options. Finally, he came to a decision.

"Deal," he said.

_Damn! I was hoping he would go for the sex!_ Kristoph thought angrily.

However, when the show started it was actually pretty good. The stunts during the jousting and sword fighting were surprisingly impressive. The knights seemed to be well trained and put on a rather entertaining show and Kristoph started to calm down.

And then the dragon came out.

To say this utter abomination of a three-year-old's project made of cardboard and lead-based paint was worse than when the Hindenburg blew up would be putting it much too kindly. Then there was the fact that _dragons have never existed in medieval times!_ The anger started boil up in Kristoph and the rant started before he could stop it.

"SERIOUSLY!? A _dragon?_ What happened to that 'authentic medieval experience?'" Kristoph exploded, startling Phoenix and Trucy, "Anyone with a brain could tell you that dragons don't exist! And they never have! And look at that stupid thing! That's the worst effect I've ever seen!"

A bunch of people turned around and stared just as the king declared that whichever knight slayed the dragon would be the winner of the tournament. The dragon went to breathe fire, but the cardboard it was made from caught on fire.

"Oh great!" Kristoph continued, exasperated, "Now the stupid thing is on fire! Didn't really think that one through, did you?"

_I should've gone with the sex, _Phoenix thought with a sigh.

"Hey daddy? What's wrong with Uncle Krissy?" Trucy asked through a mouthful of fried chicken (that had been labeled in the menu as Roasted Orc thigh.)

"Just let him wear himself out, honey," Phoenix told her, "He'll get tired eventually. Just like the time we went to that carnival and he started going off on that unfunny clown for three hours."

"WHO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A CLOWN?" Kristoph roared, whipping around and glaring at Phoenix.

Down the aisle, a jester who had been sent by management to calm Kristoph down, slowly backed away in fear.

Phoenix eventually managed to calm Kristoph down just in time for the knights to put the dragon out and the Spade Knight to be declared the winner, (for some arbitrary reason. Certainly not because of a random number generator!)

After the show Trucy wanted to stick around and see the knights, but Phoenix thought it wise to get Kristoph out of there before he had another mental breakdown. They went back to the car and found another restaurant so Kristoph could get something to eat. And because the Wrights seemed to always be hungry, they ate again as well. Trucy even got to show off her new magic wand to the waiter. Overall, Kristoph was in a far better mood by the time they got back to his house and got ready for bed.

Kristoph and Phoenix got into bed and snuggled up together. Phoenix placed his new knight figure on the nightstand so he could see it when he woke up and smiled slightly. Then he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Kristoph.

"Good night, Kris," he said, "Sorry I put you through such hell today."

"It's all right," Kristoph sighed, "As long as you had a nice birthday."

"I did," Phoenix assured him, "I love you."

"I love you, too. Good-night, Phoenix." Then Kristoph leaned over and turned off the lights and they snuggled together, happy and warm.

Phoenix still didn't get sex that night, though.

**Hope you enjoyed the silliness of this chapter! If you wanted some sort of payback for Kristoph for Apollo Justice maybe this helped. I had a ton of fun writing this one. Don't know which one of my ideas I'll write next. But until then please leave a comment!**


	4. Happy St ChrisValHalPresEastGiving Day!

**Have you ever argued with someone about what constitutes as "too many decorations?" Or when to put them up and take them down? This is what this chapter is about.**

**4 – Happy St. ChrisValHalPresEastGiving Day!**

To say that Phoenix loved the holidays was an understatement. Even when he was young he would want to put up a ton of decorations for every holiday, no matter how small. It annoyed Larry throughout the years. And it _really _annoyed Edgeworth. But Phoenix's love of the holidays could not be dampened. His friends would often point out that he also decorated too early, but Phoenix argued that there was no such thing as too early.

Kristoph, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He didn't really celebrate any of the holidays, even the major ones like Christmas, and he didn't put any decorations at his house. At his law office he only put up one measly prop the day before the holiday and then would take it down the day after.

Over the months of the first year of their friendship, Phoenix and Kristoph came to learn of each other's decorating habits. When Kristoph went by Phoenix's apartment to pick him up for dinner three weeks before President's Day, he was shocked to find busts of every single President (even the terrible ones) set up on every flat surface available. Then, before Flag's day, he was horrified to find the inside _and _outside of Phoenix's apartment decorated with flags of every known nation. One of the most horrifying incidents was when Kristoph happened to stop by during Arbor day and Phoenix somehow managed to get a tree into his apartment.

"Phoenix! What in the hell were you thinking!?" Kristoph exclaimed at him as Phoenix stood, smiling dopily at him, "Why do you have a tree in your apartment!?"

"Because it's Arbor day!" Phoenix proclaimed happily, "A day to celebrate trees and all that they give us!" Kristoph stared at him, then looked past him at the floor-to-ceiling tree right in the middle of the room.

"But why do you have to have a tree in your apartment?" Kristoph wondered, "Surely there are more appropriate ways to celebrate such an arbitrary holiday?"

Phoenix laughed and slapped his friend hard on the back, nearly sending him to the floor. "_Arbor-_trary?" he joked, laughing stupidly. Kristoph tried not to glare at him.

_I regret every decision that has led me up to this moment, _he thought to himself. He walked over to a much smaller tree, one that barely went up to his chin. "If you're going to insist on putting trees in your living space, Phoenix, why not be more sensible?" he asked, "Have smaller ones, like this one here."

Suddenly, the small tree shook and turned to Kristoph, blinking up at him. "Hi, Uncle Krissy!" it greeted happily.

"GYEAARGH!" Kristoph shouted in surprise. Behind him, Phoenix chuckled.

"That's my girl!" he praised, "Gettin' into the Arbor day spirit! Now why don't you get out there photosynthesize, you little sapling you!"

"Ok daddy!" Trucy replied. She very slowly wobbled her way out of the apartment (bumping into the door frame a couple of times before remembering to turn and hobbling out.) Phoenix and Kristoph watched her go.

_I don't think revenge and sex is worth it anymore,_ Kristoph thought, but then silently cursed when Phoenix turned and gave him a gentle kiss on the mouth.

Another rather irritating incident came up when Kristoph stopped by on the Hindu holiday of Diwali. ("Happy Diwali, Kristoph!" "…Phoenix, neither of us are Hindu.") There were a lot of colors and a dangerous amount of candles. There was a serious danger of burning down the entire apartment building.

But it wasn't just Kristoph who was annoyed with Phoenix. The ex-attorney came to realize just how little effort his friend put into any of the holidays, even the major ones. Right around Christmas, he was shocked to find that Kristoph didn't even put up a tree in his house. His office was almost as pathetic with a tiny plastic twig Kristoph passed off as a tree serving as the only thing to bring cheer to his employees. And he only brought it out the day before Christmas then put it away the day after. And it was a similar case with any other major holiday.

When Phoenix came by Kristoph's office near Halloween to ask him to lunch, he was shocked when the office didn't have any spooky decorations up at all. After giving his friend a kiss in greeting, he asked about this.

"Why should I decorate for a holiday I don't care about?" Kristoph wondered, "I'll probably get a pumpkin for the office or something so the employees won't complain, but that's about it."

Phoenix frowned at him. "Are you allergic to fun, Kris?" he wondered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kristoph questioned.

Inevitably, their conflicting viewpoints eventually came to a head and they broke out into a massive argument. Kristoph said that Phoenix was wasting his money on frivolous trinkets. Phoenix argued that Kristoph didn't know how to have any fun or bring any joy into his life. It got to where when any holiday came around, the two would avoid each other.

It was at Thanksgiving during the second year of their friendship when Klavier stopped by Kristoph's house for his family duties that the holiday consisted of. Klavier had long ago gotten used to his brother's apathy when it came to celebrating holidays. If it weren't for Klavier himself, Kristoph probably would have abandoned Thanksgiving and Christmas years ago. He already didn't give out candy at Halloween or do anything for Easter.

Klavier himself was pretty ordinary with celebrations. He didn't go as crazy with decorating as Phoenix did and he put them up and took them down in an appropriate amount of time. He didn't have a house like Kristoph, he lived in a penthouse, but he still celebrated in his own way. He often threw parties for major holidays and every year invited Kristoph in the vain hope that he would decide to go just once.

When Klavier got to the house, he was rather confused when it was just Kristoph there. Last year they had dined with Phoenix and his daughter. Even though Phoenix and Klavier didn't particularly like each other, they had put up with each other for Kristoph's sake. Were they running late or something?

"Where are Herr Wright and the young fräulein?" Klavier asked, putting the dish he had brought in the fridge, "They are coming, right?"

Kristoph, who was in the kitchen preparing, was silent for a moment. "Phoenix and I have been… arguing," he explained, "We decided that would probably be best if we weren't around each other at the moment."

Klavier frowned at him. "What are you two arguing about, if I may ask?" he wondered. Kristoph looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Um, we were arguing about decorations," he muttered. His brother blinked at him, unable to tell if he had heard him right.

"I'm sorry mein bruder, but it sounded like you said you were arguing about decorations," he said in a slightly amused voice, "But that can't be right because that would be utterly ridiculous!"

When Kristoph didn't reply or look at him, realization dawned on Klavier. "Mein Gott! You _are _arguing over something so trivial!" he exclaimed, "What happened? Did he insult your sense of taste? Or lack thereof?"

"It's not as simple as that!" Kristoph blurted out, "You should see the man's apartment around any holiday! It's swamped with decorations for every single one, even small ones or ones he's not a part of! I'm afraid he's wasting his money on these pointless trinkets!"

Klavier cocked his head and gave his brother a serious look. "Did it ever occur to you that he hasn't spent any money on these decorations recently?" he asked, "That he's saved them up over the years and they've gained sentimental value?"

As Kristoph looked down, Klavier continued. "And perhaps celebrating the minor holidays and ones of cultures he's not a part of is his way of celebrating all people? It's a possibility."

"I… hadn't thought of any of that," Kristoph muttered. If there was anything he hated more than being wrong, it was Klavier being right.

"Moreover, brother," Klavier concluded, "Do you really want to lose the first real friendship you've ever had over something so silly?" Kristoph looked up at his words. "I mean, I would ditch him because he's a dirty filthy forger, but you shouldn't. I think you should call him and make up."

Kristoph let out a massive defeated sigh. "You're right Klavier," he admitted, "Unfortunately. Hopefully he will forgive me and consent to coming over."

It turned out Phoenix hadn't even sort started getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner and had accepted Kristoph's apology without too much trouble, even offering one of his own. When asked if he would like to come over, Phoenix asked he could bring his giant centerpiece turkey. With lots of sighing, Kristoph relented.

When Phoenix and Trucy got to the house, Phoenix wrapped Kristoph in a massive hug and kissed him warmly on the lips. "I missed you," he murmured.

Kristoph smiled gently at him. "I missed you too," he replied earnestly.

The two never argued about the holidays again.


	5. A Day in the Life of Forever

**This chapter is going to be a more relaxed chapter compared to the previous ones. It's just a look at a day of Phoenix and Kristoph's life together. Ain't that sweet?**

**BTW, I have a Twitter if you want to look me up and send art my way. Or just bother me a lot. Look me up at White Thunder ThunderingWhite. Look for the picture of the horse.**

**5 – A Day in the Life of Forever**

To Phoenix, there was something rather special and magical about being with Kristoph. There was hardly a day when they didn't sleep over at each other's homes. And one of the best part of the days, in Phoenix's opinion, was waking up and getting ready. They would wake in each other's arms and whoever woke first would get the other up by kissing his face until he protested. Then they would gather their clothes and shower together, which may or may not lead to sex.

Phoenix felt especially privileged during this time. He was one of the very few people who got to see Kristoph with his hair down, in his natural state. And no matter what he did, Phoenix found him _gorgeous. _He loved when they would wash each other and then afterwards Phoenix offered to brush Kristoph's hair for him because it was too long for him to do on his own. Kristoph would close his eyes and relax into Phoenix as he worked the brush and his fingers through his long, soft, silky hair.

"Maybe you should consider getting it cut," Phoenix jokingly suggested as Kristoph leaned back into him, "It is rather long. Then you wouldn't have to get other people to take care of it for you." Kristoph let out a soft laugh.

"Yes, get it all chopped off so it looks as bad as my brother's," he snickered, "No. At most I get it trimmed every few months to keep it manageable. But I would never cut off all of my hair."

"Good," Phoenix said with a nod, "I like your hair. It makes you look distinguished. And if you ever make yourself look like your brother, I'll strangle you."

Kristoph chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that, Phoenix," he assured, "Klavier is all 'rebellious.' He would never want to look like me."

"Hmm…" Phoenix hummed in thought and paused in his brushing to lean forward to plant a gentle kiss on Kristoph's neck. Kristoph sighed in response. "Maybe I should grow my hair out. Try like a punk rock sort of look. What do you think?"

"No," Kristoph stated firmly, "I like your hair just the way it is. It's spikey but soft. I don't know how you do it."

"Trade secret," Phoenix teased, "I'm not telling until you tell me how you get your hair into that spiral." Kristoph scoffed.

"I'll never tell," he jeered, leaning back into his lover. Phoenix let out a little huff of laughter and finished brushing Kristoph's hair before setting the brush down and wrapping his arms around him. Kristoph hummed softly.

"What do you want for breakfast this morning?" he asked. Phoenix shrugged.

"Whatever you're making is good with me," he replied, "You know I always love your cooking."

"What if I made your least favorite dish?" Kristoph joked.

"Coming from you, I'm sure you'd find a way to make it taste delicious," Phoenix praised. Kristoph chuckled and turned to kiss him gently on the lips.

"Will Trucy have enough time to eat before she has to go to school?" he asked, "If she doesn't, I could still make her something quick."

Phoenix looked over at the clock on the nightstand. "Uh, yeah I think she has enough time before the bus comes," he said, "If she gets up, that is."

With that in mind, they both got up and finished getting dressed. Kristoph always tried and failed to get Phoenix to dress nicer than just a T-shirt, a hoodie, and sandals, but Phoenix would just smile, give him a kiss, and say, "maybe someday." Phoenix, on the other hand, tried to convince Kristoph to do "casual Fridays" in his office, to which Kristoph would give him an abhorred look of shock.

At almost the same time the two came out of their room, a half-asleep Trucy came out of her own room; her hair messy and only partially dressed. She gave a big yawn and a sleepy smile when she saw them.

"Good morning daddy, Uncle Krissy," she greeted.

"Morning Truce," Phoenix replied, "You wanna finish getting ready for school while Kris and I get breakfast started?"

"But daddy," she yawned again, "I am ready!"

"Heh, I don't think so sweetie," Phoenix chastised, "Now go get dressed or you're having cornflakes for breakfast!" Trucy gasped.

"Not cornflakes!" she cried as she ran back into her room, "That's for boring people!"

"Hey! I like cornflakes!" Kristoph called after her. Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle.

After that Kristoph got started working on breakfast while Phoenix set the table and fetched the ingredients Kristoph needed. While Gavin cooked, Wright made Trucy's lunch making sure it was nice and balanced.

"Hey Kris, do you have any baby carrots or celery I can put in Trucy's lunch?" Phoenix asked.

"Check the bottom drawer of the refrigerator," Kristoph answered, "I usually keep some for soup. Hurry with that so you can wash your hands, please. Breakfast will be ready shortly."

"Will do," Phoenix replied with a smile. He finished packing Trucy's lunch bag and set it aside for her, then went to the sink to wash his hands. When he turned around, Trucy was at the table, fork and knife in hand. Phoenix smirked at her.

"Trucy, did you wash your hands?" he asked in a slow voice. Trucy gave him a big smile.

"Yes~!" she replied, stretching her answer out. Phoenix put his hands on his hips.

"Really? I didn't see you at the sink. And I didn't hear the water running upstairs at all," he pointed out.

"Well…" Trucy again stretched the "l's" in her word, "I didn't say I washed them today…" Phoenix rolled his eyes.

"Come wash your hands or Uncle Krissy's not going to feed you," he threatened.

Putting on a fake pouty face, Trucy got up and walked over to the sink. When everything was ready, they all sat down together to eat. Phoenix and Kristoph talked quietly about their jobs while Trucy noisily stuffed her face.

Eventually the school bus came for Trucy and the two were finally left alone. Before doing anything else, they cleaned up the kitchen together. It happened to be a day when they both had a day off of work, so that meant they were free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day.

Kristoph made his way out to the living room with Phoenix following close behind. They made themselves cozy on the couch, snuggling up together. Kristoph settled down with a book he had been reading while Phoenix pressed up against him.

It wasn't long before Kristoph suddenly felt Phoenix's weight on him increase. He looked over and smiled slightly to see that his partner had fallen asleep. He leaned over and softly kissed the top of his head. It was the quiet moments like these that Kristoph valued the most. They allowed him to collect his thoughts and just breathe for a moment while enjoying Phoenix's company.

He continued reading for another hour before he found a good place to stop and put his book down. He turned to Phoenix and gave him a gentle nudge.

"Wake up, sleepy head," he urged.

Phoenix let out a big yawn and slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? What?" he looked around, lazily blinking his eyes, "What's up?"

"You fell asleep," Kristoph pointed out.

"Did I?" Phoenix asked, a small tired smile on his face, "I guess you're just so warm I couldn't help myself."

Kristoph laughed shortly under his breath. "How about you and I go for a little walk to wake ourselves up?" he suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Phoenix agreed.

Arm in arm, the two left the house and started walking down the street. It was a beautiful and warm day, perfect for a stroll around the neighborhood. They were glad they lived in more progressive times where two men walking together with their arms linked drew no funny looks. The only reason anyone looked at them odd was because Kristoph was dressed so formally and Phoenix was dressed so, well, _not _formally.

At this point in his life, Phoenix didn't really mind the looks he got. He knew a lot of the people knew him as "the disgraced attorney who presented forged evidence" but it didn't bother him because they didn't know the truth. What did he care as long as he was with Kristoph?

The two made their way around the block, past Kristoph's law firm, before stopping at a small deli for lunch. They ordered and sat down to eat, Kristoph insisting on paying for both of them.

"So, Kris, how's work going?" Phoenix asked when they sat.

"Pretty well," Kristoph answered, "We got a new client yesterday from a security company. The CEO is being sued by one of his customers who claims that he's been using his company for reasons other than security. It'll be a tough case, but I think we can pull it off."

"Wow. I forgot there can be court cases that involve things other than murder," Phoenix said. Kristoph chuckled.

"Oh yes, you told me you dealt exclusively in murder trials, didn't you?" he clarified.

"Indeed," Phoenix replied, "Even in cases where I thought it wasn't going to be about murder it turned into murder. Like once I had a client where I had to get him off for theft only for it to turn into a murder charge!"

Kristoph smiled and shook his head. "Sometimes I wish I could give up being a lawyer and find a different job," he confessed, "It seems like most of, if not all of my trials turn into murder trials even they didn't start that way. Watch this one somehow involve murder in some way."

"The guy suing your client gets killed," Phoenix suggested. Kristoph quickly shushed him.

"Don't jinx it!" he hissed. Then the two burst out laughing, unable to help themselves.

"I don't think you could retire from being a lawyer," Phoenix said after they calmed down, "You have too many people working for you. They rely on you for a job. Who would sign their paychecks if you left?"

"That's true," Kristoph sighed, "I've been thinking about trying to find a protégé; someone I can take on as an apprentice. I know I'm not that old, but I want to be able to pass my firm on to someone someday."

"Mmm… if you had an apprentice and trained him up maybe that would give you more time to spend with me," Phoenix said hopefully, giving his partner a sly look. Kristoph smiled at him.

"I don't know," he said, "I'm not sure if I could handle that much Phoenix."

Sticking his tongue out, Phoenix leaned over and lightly punched the other man in the arm.

After they ate they left the deli and headed back towards the house. Almost as soon as they got back, Phoenix was on Kristoph, pushing him onto the couch and kissing him passionately. Kristoph wasn't sure what brought on this sudden affection, but he wasn't complaining.

They laid on the couch, kissing each other wildly. Phoenix ran his hands through Kristoph's hair while Kristoph wrapped his arms around Phoenix's back, keeping him tight against him. They made out for quite a while, completely losing track of time. It was probably a good thing they didn't go any further, because they were still going at it when Trucy got home.

She burst in, slamming the front door open, causing the two to fly apart and quickly leap to opposite sides of the couch. "Daddy! Uncle Krissy! I'm home!" she screeched, "What's for dinner?"

Panting and holding their chests in fear, Phoenix and Kristoph looked at each other. "Um, we haven't really decided yet, princess," Phoenix answered, trying not to sound too ruffled, "Er, how was school today?"

"Oh, it was great!" Trucy exclaimed, jumping onto the couch and launching into a minute-by-minute detailed account of her day. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice the adults' embarrassment.

Later (after Phoenix and Kristoph had recovered from their near disaster and Trucy had finally stopped talking,) they decided to go out to eat after Phoenix complained that he didn't want to clean any dishes afterwards.

"As long as we don't go to that Freddy Fazbear's place again I'm fine with going out," Kristoph conceded.

"Ooh! I love Freddy Fazbear's!" Trucy gleefully squealed, "Let's go there!"

"I said as long as we _don't _dine there!" Kristoph sighed, "It smells like blood and mucus, the food is sub-par, and I swear that fox gives me the evil eye every time we go there!"

"You know the animals there are animatronics, right?" Phoenix asked. Kristoph shuddered.

"That's what makes it so disconcerting," he muttered, "Please choose somewhere else."

Trucy sighed in a very over dramatic way. "Ok," she moaned, making it sound like she was making a real sacrifice for this, "Only for you, Uncle Krissy."

"Thank you," Kristoph murmured.

They eventually settled on a nice family restaurant that wasn't too pricey and Phoenix insisted on splitting the check as he had just gotten paid. They talked quietly while enjoying their meals and Phoenix only got one weird look from a waiter who thought he should've dressed more upscale.

On their way home, Trucy passed out in the car (food and car rides seemed to make her sleepy,) so Phoenix had to carry her inside to her room. Once she was in bed, Kristoph and Phoenix made their way to their own bedroom.

"Shower with me?" Kristoph requested. Phoenix gave him a coy grin.

"Of course," he replied.

Kristoph led the way into the connecting bathroom where they turned and started undressing each other. Kristoph always liked to take his time with this part, admiring Phoenix's body as it was slowly revealed to him and running his hands over it. Phoenix, on the other hand, tried to get his partner's clothes off as quickly as possible without simply ripping them off so he could start kissing Kristoph's skin all over. It usually evened out, actually, since Phoenix wore a lot less layers than Kristoph did.

As soon as all of their clothes were off (and folded neatly because Kristoph insisted), the water was turned on to a warm and comfortable temperature before they stepped underneath it. They washed each other's bodies, running their hands over each other, but it wasn't long before they were making out, and very soon after that they were making love.

When they finally finished (because the water had gone cold), they dried each other and got dressed before heading to bed. Kristoph tied his hair into a loose ponytail to keep it tidy before curling up next to Phoenix. They kissed a little before settling down in each other's arms.

"Good-night, Phoenix," Kristoph murmured, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Kris," Phoenix replied, snuggling closer, "Good-night."

Kristoph turned off the lights and they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's warmth.

**This chapter got quite a bit longer than I meant it to. Oh well. Next chapter will be quite a bit darker than all the previous chapters. You'll see why. In the meantime, please leave a comment!**


	6. The Letter Opener

**This chapter is darker than the last five chapters, so be warned. No one dies, but there are images of death and some minor gore. If that's not your thing, I would skip this one.**

**6 – The Letter Opener**

On Kristoph's nightstand was one of those old fashioned letter openers that looked a lot like a dagger and was just as sharp as one. It had a beautiful design etched into it with the emblem of the college Kristoph had gone to embedded into the handle. He liked to keep it on his nightstand instead of downstairs because Kristoph liked to read his personal mail in his bedroom. He liked to tell Phoenix the story of how he got it (he had not just purchased it at the college bookstore). He had won it along with some other trinkets such as a ring and a broach for winning a mock trial that had been written by some of the professors and the headmaster.

Phoenix hated the thing.

It didn't help that he left it out _all the time._ When they were sleeping, when they were cuddling, when they were making love, it was always there. Sitting there. Taunting Phoenix. Just daring him to act on his impulses.

Whenever Phoenix saw the letter opener, he got visions. Horrible visions. He would see himself with that damned dagger-like object in his hand. He would raise it over his head… and plunge it into Kristoph over and over.

It terrified Phoenix that he would think these terrible things. Why would even think of stabbing his friend with a letter opener? But it didn't matter what they were doing; as soon as Phoenix saw the blasted thing, those waking nightmares filled his head.

He tried hiding it several times. In the drawer, under the bed, under the mattress, in the garbage, behind the paintings, but Kristoph somehow found it every single time. It's like he had a radar or something that drew him to it.

Whenever Kristoph found his beloved letter opener out of place he would question Phoenix why it was there and he would feign ignorance. Kristoph seemed to believe him, but that didn't make his problem any better.

Phoenix thought about talking to a therapist about it, but he didn't really want to admit out loud that he envisioned himself stabbing Kristoph with a letter opener while they were making love every time he saw it.

Sometimes the nightmares were so real-like it was hard for him to tell it was just a dream. He would almost physically feel himself plunging the dagger into Kristoph's skin, see the blood pouring out of him, watch him gasp for breath as he asks why. But then he would blink and Kristoph was fine again.

As Phoenix fell asleep night after night all he could ask himself was: why?

**Short chapter and no resolution, but that's how life is sometimes. Why is Phoenix getting waking nightmares of stabbing Kristoph? Could it have anything to do with his disbarment? Who knows? Anyway, please leave a comment and feel free to check me out on twitter ThunderingWhite!**


	7. The Cherry Lounge

**To shake off the creepy feelings of the last chapter, here's a humorous one. I'm not going to say what it's about because that would spoil it.**

**7 – The Cherry Lounge**

"I don't know about this, Phoenix," Kristoph murmured as he looked up at the building, "I know you said this is a classy gentleman's club, but I've never really been to an exclusive club like this before. Are you sure I won't be making a fool of myself or be out of place?"

"Trust me, buddy, I've been here a few times. You'll love it here," Phoenix assured him, slapping him on the back.

Skeptical, Kristoph glanced up at the building again. A fancy custom-made light up sign labeled the place as being The Cherry Lounge. All of the e's were replaced with cherries (classy?) There wasn't much to say about the outside. It was just a red brick building with no windows like one would expect from a private club.

"What is this gentleman's club like?" Kristoph asked.

"You'll see," Phoenix promised, taking his arm, "Let's not wait any longer, shall we?"

He led Kristoph inside where they immediately entered a small sized room that served as member check and also a coat check. A very large man stood in front of the door leading to the main room, his arms folded in front of him. A list of rules was on a metal plate directly opposite the entrance door, the first and most prominent one being "No one under 21 may enter."

Kristoph tried to read the rest of the rules, but Phoenix was dragging him over to the large man.

"Hey Rio," he greeted, pulling out his wallet and flashing his I.D, "Back for another night of fun. This is my friend, so he's with me."

The man, Rio, gave a short nod, before stepping aside. Phoenix smiled and nodded back then went for the door.

As soon as he opened it, the tiny room was blasted with loud, raunchy music and a pulsing bass that Kristoph wondered how it wasn't heard from outside. He cupped his hands over his ears, trying to block some of it out, but it didn't do much. Before he could say anything to Phoenix about how obnoxious the music was, said man was dragging him inside.

The next room was large and clearly showed what this place really was: a strip club. There were two stages for dancers and a long row of seats lined up along them so men could watch the dancers more closely and throw money at them. There was also a sign over the stages that declared "We're always popping cherries here!" There was a bar along one wall and plenty of tables and cushy seats in the opposite side of the room. A slightly raised section of the floor was roped off and labeled "VIP." There were doors leading to "Private Rooms."

And there were people everywhere. Men of all classes were enjoying the entertainment as men and women strippers walked about, pleasing the guests. There was currently a male stripper on one stage and a female stripper on the other, dancing in overly sexualized manners. Some of the guests were being led into the Private Rooms by a stripper.

But probably what repulsed Kristoph the most (besides how much nudity there was) was how a lot of the strippers, male and female, were just making out with and grinding on the patrons. Angrily, Kristoph turned to Phoenix.

"Phoenix," he said slowly, "What the hell is this?" The man in question gave him a broad smile.

"Sorry, Kris!" he shouted, "Can't hear you over the music!" Even though the music had ended and the club was quiet now except for the people's chatter. Kristoph glared at him.

"Why did you bring me here?" he snarled, "You said this was a classy gentleman's club!"

"Ok, I'm pretty sure I never used the word 'classy,'" Phoenix pointed out, "Second, strip clubs are sometimes called gentleman's clubs! I didn't lie to you or anything!"

"No, but you purposefully mislead me!" Kristoph argued.

"It's not my fault you don't know what a strip club is!" Phoenix refuted with a grin, "Come on, Kris, just relax! You're always so uptight and stiff! You need to loosen up once in a while, take a load off! Come on, I'll buy you a couple of drinks and we don't have to go near the stage if it makes you uncomfortable."

He slung an arm around his friend and dragged him reluctantly further into the room. As they headed towards the bar, Phoenix looked totally comfortable and like he belonged there. Kristoph, on the other hand, looked out of place and nervous. It didn't help that several of the patrons and workers were eying Kristoph with something that Kristoph recognized as lust.

"Phoenix, I really don't want to be here," he muttered to his partner.

"Don't worry about it," Phoenix dismissed as they reached the bar, "None of the guests can ask anything of you. It's one of the rules."

"Well what are the other rules?" Kristoph wondered, a bit of an edge in his voice, "You pulled me away before I could read them."

"Don't worry about it," Phoenix repeated, "Just try to relax." He signaled the bartender who came over to take their drink orders. Then he turned with a smile to his companion.

"Come on, Kris, don't give me that look," he insisted as Kristoph narrowed his eyes at him, "You really need to lighten up a little. You're always so stressed. It's gonna kill you some day."

Kristoph sighed. "I suppose I can have one or two drinks," he murmured, "But if you force me anywhere near those performers!"

Phoenix let out a little chuckle. "Don't worry," he chortled, "I won't. The strippers are for me!"

At that declaration, Kristoph gave him a shocked look. "W-Wait, what?" he stuttered, "What do you mean they're for you?"

"What do you think I mean?" Phoenix responded, "I'm gonna get my rocks off to a couple of strippers! You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Kristoph wrapped his arms around himself and turned his head away slightly. "I… I thought I was enough for you," he mumbled, "But apparently I was wrong."

"Aw! Come on, Kris! It's not like that!" Phoenix whined, "I'm not going to sleep with them or anything! I just need a little variety sometimes, that's all. It's not something I do often."

"If you say so," Kristoph muttered. He took a sip of his drink and continued to look down. He sputtered when Phoenix gave him a few pats on the back.

"All right, buddy! I'm gonna go find some action!" he announced. Kristoph looked at him, shocked and worried.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?" he called as Phoenix got up from his seat. Wright looked back and grinned. "Please don't leave me alone!"

"You can come with me," Phoenix pointed out. Kristoph looked conflicted but stood up anyway and went to his side. Phoenix's grin widened. "Can't bear to go a minute without me, huh, Kris?"

"Shut up," Kristoph mumbled. Phoenix led the way over to a couple of beautiful workers who were standing near some plush couches. He didn't hesitate to walk right up to them while Kristoph hung back a little.

"Hey ladies," Phoenix greeted, "Ruby, Honey, good to see you again."

"Ooh! Look Honey! Phoenix is back!" the woman, Ruby, purred.

And that was all the dialogue exchanged between them before the three of them were all over each other. Kristoph watched with horror and mild disgust as Phoenix and Ruby started making out while "Honey" started necking Phoenix all over. Feeling rather sick and betrayed, Kristoph went and took a seat on one of the nearby couches. He just couldn't watch this anymore.

With a sigh, Kristoph looked over the club, watching all of the people making a mess of themselves. The patrons weren't even trying to be subtle or classy and it made Kristoph uncomfortable, especially since a lot of them were staring at him.

One male stripper who was dressed in some of the most skimpiest clothing in the entire building, spotted Kristoph and grinned before strutting over to him. Kristoph started slightly as he sat down next to him.

"Hey there," the man greeted in a sexy voice, "What's a handsome man like yourself doing over here all by your lonesome?"

"I'm not here by myself," Kristoph murmured, tensing as the man slid a hand onto his shoulder, "I'm here with someone."

"Oh are you?" the man chuckled, "I don't see anyone around. Just you and me."

"He's right over-" He started to point to where Phoenix had been only to realize he had completely disappeared. _Where did he go!? _He thought, panicked. This room was huge and packed full of sweaty, horny bodies. Kristoph really didn't feel like wading through them to try to find his friend.

"Oh dear, it looks like your friend ditched you," the stripper tsked in a fake way, "Well, don't worry. Juice will take good care of you."

Before Kristoph could object, "Juice" was sliding onto his lap and straddling him. His eyes widened as the stripper caressed his face.

"What are you-?" Kristoph didn't even get to finish his sentence before Juice was leaning in and kissing him deeply. The blond's entire body froze up and for a moment he had no idea what was going on. Why was this man who he didn't know at all kissing him so passionately? And where was Phoenix?

Kristoph gasped as Juice suddenly started grinding on him, thrusting his hips into him. He tried to push the stripper off him, but the man was surprisingly strong. A long, guttural moan came from Juice's throat as he continued kissing Kristoph.

Just when he thought he couldn't take much more, Juice was suddenly and forcefully pulled off of him, leaving Kristoph gasping. He looked up to see Phoenix angrily pulling on the guy's hair to yank him off his friend.

"Get off my lover, you hack!" Phoenix growled, dragging him even further off. Kristoph jolted.

Did he… just call them lovers? As long as they had been together, Phoenix had always insisted on calling them friends or friends with benefits. Sure, they had said, "I love you" to each other, but he had never referred to their relationship as lovers before. It made Kristoph's heart beat a little faster and honestly made him feel something that could only be giddiness.

Kristoph watched as Phoenix shoved Juice away came back over to him, offering his hand out to him. "Come on, Kris, let's get out of here." He wasn't smiling. Kristoph took his hand and was pulled to his feet.

The two left the club without speaking to anyone.

…

Later that night, the two were lying in bed silently. Kristoph had his back to Phoenix who had his torso pressed up against him and an arm wrapped around his waist. They hadn't spoken since they got home, even through dinner. Finally, Phoenix sighed.

"I'm really sorry," he murmured, "I shouldn't have brought you there. I should've known it would make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to help you loosen up a little. I didn't mean for it go so far."

Kristoph was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know if you know this, Phoenix, but I have… intimacy issues," he explained, "Most of my relationships have never lasted more than a month. The last time I had a long term girlfriend she cheated on me and I never found out with whom. You're the first person in a long time I've had a physical and emotional relationship with." He paused to take a breath. "So when I saw you with those strippers I felt so hurt and betrayed. It made me feel like I wasn't enough for you."

Phoenix snuggled up closer to him and pressed his face into the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry, Kris," he whispered, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't want you to feel inadequate. And I want you to know that this was the first time I've been there since we got together. Because I love you."

Kristoph slowly turned his head to look at Phoenix. "I love you, too," he breathed, "And… it made me rather happy today when you referred to me as your lover." Phoenix smiled gently.

"Of course. We are lovers, aren't we?" he asked, "I plan on being with you for a long time. I mean, if you can forgive me for this whole debacle."

"As long as you never bring me to another strip club again, I forgive you," Kristoph replied with a smile. Then he and Phoenix leaned towards each other and kissed deeply.

**I like to think that Phoenix is one of those people who likes to show off his partners but then gets insanely jealous when someone else makes a move on them.** **Like, he secretly despised Payne and the Judge for being all sweet on Dahlia but also would've hated them if they had been rude to her. I want to show this when he's with Miles at some point. Anyway, please leave a comment and maybe check me out on Twitter sometime ThunderingWhite!**


	8. Raiders of the Lost Opera

**Has anyone ever ruined a movie or a book by pointing out one major plot hole or contrivance? It made you so angry that you had to do the same to them? Yeah, that's this chapter. I will note, though, and give credit that I did NOT come up with this idea on my own. I got it from an episode of **_**The Big Bang Theory. **_**Season 7, episode 4, "The Raiders Minimization." Obviously this isn't going to be exactly the same, but that's where I got the inspiration. Also got some more help from my friend, Fluxit Aqua et Sanguine about the book Phoenix reads.**

**8 – Raiders of the Lost Opera**

Phoenix snuggled up to Kristoph on the couch in his knock-off Steel Samurai pajamas (courtesy of Maya), staring at his face and trying to guess how he was enjoying the movie. They were watching Phoenix's favorite Indiana Jones movie, _Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark._ Kristoph had never seen it before and Phoenix insisted that he needed to see it. So, they got together at the Wright apartment, Phoenix made a big bowl of popcorn, pulled out some drinks, and turned on the movie. Kristoph had to evoke a "no talking" rule about fifteen minutes in when Phoenix wouldn't shut up and stop asking what he thought.

Now Phoenix had to keep himself from staring at Kristoph through the entire movie. Especially since he wasn't reacting in the way he was supposed to. He wasn't shocked when he was supposed to be shocked or laughing at the funny moments. In fact, his face didn't change expression through the entire movie.

When the movie was over, they turned it off and Phoenix turned to Kristoph excitedly. "So? What'd you think?" he asked, "Wasn't it amazing?"

Kristoph gave him a small side smile. "It was good," he said, "I liked it. The action was intense, the story was intriguing, and the characters were charming."

Phoenix grinned wildly. "I'm so glad you liked it!" he admitted, "I was afraid I was going to have to end our friendship!"

There was a laugh from Kristoph. "Indeed," he chuckled, "It's just too bad that Indiana Jones himself was entirely irrelevant to the plot."

In an instant, Phoenix's face fell. "Wh-What?" he stuttered.

Kristoph looked at him, giving him a confused look. "Huh? Surely you noticed?" he insisted, "The Nazis would have gotten the Ark and gotten all melted and exploded and stuff even if Jones hadn't done anything. The most he did was inconvenience them along the way."

Phoenix stared at him, open mouthed. Kristoph blinked at him. "Phoenix? This isn't a revelation to you, right?" he urged, "You were a lawyer. You have an eye for detail. You're always noticing things like that. This shouldn't be a shock."

For a moment more, Phoenix stared at him. Then he let out an awkward laugh. "Heh, yeah! Of course I noticed that!" he lied, "I would have to be an idiot not to see that!" He forced a few more laughs then stretched and yawned. "Well, it's getting late. We should be getting to bed. After all, we have work in the morning."

Kristoph watched him, concerned, but then conceded. "Indeed, you are right," he admitted, "How about we shower and head off to bed?"

…

As Kristoph slept soundly that night, Phoenix laid beside him, brooding. He couldn't stand that Kris had pointed out such a flaw in such a perfect movie. A flaw that he himself had never spotted. But what could he do about it? He didn't want to appear petty to Kristoph and admit that this revelation had actually shaken him quite a bit.

He looked over at his sleeping lover. Perhaps he could get Kristoph to feel the same way he had? To experience the same thing with one of his beloved stories? But how? Kristoph didn't really watch many movies or TV shows. But… he did read a lot. Maybe Phoenix could find a plot hole in one of the many books he loved. He was pretty sure he could remember Kristoph's favorite books. He talked about them quite a bit.

The next day after Kristoph drove him to work, Phoenix spent half an hour on his phone reading the synopsis of Kristoph's favorite stories, trying to find anything he could exploit. Finally, he found something in _The Phantom of the Opera_ by Gaston Leroux. He grinned and cackled to himself until his boss snapped at him to get back to work.

"Hey Kris, can I borrow one of your books to read?" Phoenix asked when he arrived at the Gavin manor later that evening. Kristoph looked up from where he was preparing dinner.

"I suppose you may," he responded, "Any particular reason why?"

"Well, I figured you were nice enough to indulge me and watch one of my favorite movies, so I figured I should read one of your favorite books so we could have even more to talk about," Phoenix replied.

Kristoph gave him a small smile. "That's surprisingly mature of you," he said, "It's a fantastic idea. Choose any book you like."

"I shall," Phoenix agreed, choosing to ignore the comment about maturity. He scanned the bookshelf, looking for the volume he had already picked out. "Ah! This one look's interesting! _The Phantom of the Opera!_"

"Ah yes! That story is one of my favorites!" Kristoph commented.

"Yes, I remember you talking about it extensively," Phoenix said, taking it off the bookshelf. He went over to the couch and started reading while Kristoph continued cooking. He never noticed the wide grin on Phoenix's face.

…

Phoenix read the book almost every free minute of the day. He wanted to get through it quickly so he could enact his revenge upon Kristoph. He wrote little sticky notes so he wouldn't forget the points he wanted to make when he talked to Kris later. He managed to finish the story in only three days.

"Wow, Phoenix, you must have really enjoyed it," Kristoph noted taking the book back from him and putting it back on the shelf.

"Oh yeah, it was great!" Phoenix replied, a large smile on his face, "The plot was very compelling, the characters were believable and interesting, and the conflicts were so enjoyable! Loved every moment of it!"

Kristoph gave him a smile as he sat beside him on the couch, then leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you liked it," he said, "I was a little afraid it would be too much for you since you don't read that much."

"Nope! I loved it!" Phoenix claimed, "Even if Raoul was totally pointless to the plot and was basically just a motivation for Christine!"

As these words poured out, Kristoph jolted and stilled. His eyes slowly inched over to look at Phoenix's face. "What did you say?" he asked slowly.

Phoenix blinked innocently at him. "Oh? Didn't you notice?" he wondered, "Raoul has no impact on the plot at all! Sure, he's important to the story, but he doesn't do anything to effect the plot!"

Kristoph stared at him, his expression darkening slightly. Phoenix continued, a smug tone coming to his voice. "I mean, you must have caught it, seeing as you've _read _this book before and this is one of your _favorite _stories," he pointed out, "That whatever Raoul tries to do he fails? I mean, he goes to the cemetery and accomplishes nothing. He tries to keep Christine from seeing Erik and fails. Even when he goes to save Christine he's completely useless! Christine saves herself! Isn't that just fantastic?"

There wasn't a single sound from Kristoph for a long moment. He closed his eyes and took a breath. When he opened them again he was staring straight at Phoenix.

"May I ask you a question?" he inquired, "Are you doing this because of the comment I made about that movie you like?"

Phoenix blinked in surprise. How did he catch on to his plan so fast!? He swallowed.

"Well, um, you see…"

"Because if you are that would be rather immature of you," Kristoph interrupted. Phoenix gulped.

"Th-That's not why," he muttered. Kristoph cocked his head to one side.

"Oh?" he said, "Then it is merely a coincidence that your criticism of my book happens to be the same as mine of your movie?"

Phoenix sighed. There was no fooling Kristoph. "Ok, fine. You caught me," he confessed, "What you said… did bother me. A lot, actually. I never noticed how pointless to the plot Indie was until you pointed it out and it kind of ruined the movie for me." He gave Kristoph a guilty look. "I'm sorry. I should've just said something."

Kristoph's expression softened. "I'm sorry as well," he said, "If I had known it would bother you I wouldn't have pointed it out. But I was truthful when I said that I enjoyed the film despite the flaw. I don't watch movies of that genre often so I had a lot more fun than I thought I would."

_Despite your face telling me otherwise, _Phoenix thought to himself. "And I wasn't lying about _The Phantom of the Opera _either. I'm glad I read it, especially considering I don't read all that often," he laughed. Kristoph joined in on the cheer.

"Well, then, I think we can call a truce on this issue," he concluded, "Shall we break out a bit of wine and enjoy a quiet evening at home?"

"Grape juice for me!" Phoenix exclaimed happily.

Kristoph smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

**That seems like a good place to end this short. I haven't decided which one is going to be next, but hopefully this will tide you over for now. Have you ever had a story ruined by a friend like this? Feel free to tell me in a comment or contact me on twitter ThunderingWhite.**


	9. Thinking of Asking You

**This is going to be another short one. Just a little "what if" kind of thing. Also remember that these chapters are in no particular order.**

**9 – Thinking of Asking You**

Phoenix was torn in two. Before he had been disbarred there was a man he was deeply in love with. They had worked on many cases together and some of Phoenix's toughest cases involved that man. The case against Yanni Yogi and von Karma, when they unmasked Engarde for who he really was, the huge case at Hazakura Temple, all of them had involved him. Phoenix had relied on him to get him through those cases.

And now he was gone. Left for Europe to continue his studies or something. But Phoenix hadn't heard from him in such a long time. He had no idea when or even if he was coming back. Phoenix was getting older. He was in his thirties now. He didn't know if he could wait the rest of his life for this man.

But thankfully he wasn't alone. He still had Kristoph. And while he had had his suspicions about him in the beginning, it looked like it he had been wrong to think of him as anything but trustworthy.

Afterall, Kristoph had been there for him when he was disbarred. Kristoph cared for him. Kristoph made sure he had three meals every day and a bed to sleep in every night. Kristoph hadn't abandoned him. Kristoph hadn't left him and gone to Europe for who knows how long. Kristoph made him feel loved.

After sending Trucy to bed, Phoenix sat down next to Kristoph on the couch and snuggled up to him as he read a book.

"Hey Kris? Can I… um… confess something to you?" Phoenix asked.

Kristoph looked over at him and gave him a warm smile, closing his book. "Of course, Phoenix," he said, "You can tell me anything."

Phoenix returned the smile and took a deep breath. "You know my prosecutor friend who I talk about sometimes?" he started.

"The one that's in Europe?"

"Yeah," Phoenix paused to think for a moment, "Well, I haven't spoken to him in a long time. It's been nearly half a year since I talked to him last and even longer since I saw him."

"I'm sorry," Kristoph murmured.

Phoenix wanted to say, "It's fine" or "Don't worry about it," but it wasn't fine. He missed that man deeply and wished he could see him again.

"Well, anyway I was doing some soul searching," Phoenix continued, "And I came to a decision. If Edgeworth doesn't come back from Europe, then I'm going to ask you to marry me."

Kristoph suddenly stiffened. Did he… just hear him right? Phoenix wanted to marry him? He did his best to smile at him.

"Why, I would be honored, Phoenix," he said.

As the two lay together in bed that night, Kristoph couldn't help feeling conflicted himself. For a while now his relationship with Phoenix was making him reconsider his carefully laid plans. This new revelation was going to throw everything up in flames. Did Phoenix really care so deeply about him that he would consider marriage?

What would happen if he did marry Phoenix? He cared about Phoenix as well, probably loved him. Sometimes it felt like they were married already. But what frightened Kristoph the most was Phoenix finding out the truth behind his disbarment and ending everything. He didn't know if he could handle that.

With a small sigh, Kristoph wrapped his arms around the sleeping Phoenix and snuggled his face into the back of his neck. He could only hope that Phoenix would never discover the truth.

**Short! Not much to say except I hope you liked it. Now I have to check my list and check which one I'm doing next. In the meantime, please leave a comment!**


	10. C'MOOOOOOOOON

**I have no idea why I thought of this one. It might have been one of my friends' ideas or it might have been my own. Anyway, nothing explicit to keep the T rating. (Because I actually know how the ratings guide works.)**

**10 – C'MOOOOOOOOON!**

It was rather busy that day at the Gavin Law Offices. Since Kristoph hired a multitude of employees, he could actually take on multiple clients. Unlike when Phoenix was still a lawyer and he could only take on one client at a time. But today was far more hectic than usual. Every employee was doing five things at once, Kristoph was on the phone or computer every minute of the day, and he didn't even time to have lunch.

So today was not really a good day for Phoenix to visit the office. Especially when said Phoenix had just gotten done watching a very erotic romantic movie and now was hyped up on hormones.

He burst into Kristoph's office before the secretary could even announce that he was here.

"Kristoph!" he exclaimed, "How's my old buddy ol' pal doing? Whatchya up to?"

Tiredly, Kristoph looked up from typing on his laptop. "Phoenix," he said slowly, "I'm very busy today. Is there something you desperately need?"

"Oh there is," Phoenix replied slyly, "I desperately need you." He wiggled his eyebrows, but because Kristoph had gone back to typing, he had missed the implication entirely.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not looking up. Phoenix laughed shortly.

"I mean I need my dick inside you," he explained.

Startled, Kristoph looked up at Phoenix's "come hither" look. He was sprawled out on the couch Kristoph had in his office in what Phoenix probably thought was a sexy pose but did absolutely nothing for the exhausted lawyer. Said lawyer sighed.

"Phoenix, I don't have time today. Like I said, I'm very busy," he told his lover, "I didn't even have time to eat lunch."

"Well if you're hungry, I have something you can snack on," Phoenix replied with a grin.

"Oh God," Kristoph muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Before either of them could say anything else, the phone started ringing. Phoenix got up and tried to lunge for it but seeing as it was right in front of Kristoph, he didn't stand a chance of getting it. Kris held up a hand to stop him from snatching the phone from him.

"Hello? Ah! Mr. Nigma, I was wondering when you would call back," Kristoph said into the phone, still holding Phoenix back, "You still want us to represent you, yes? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Of course. Yes, we do. Hold on second." He covered the phone for a moment to push Phoenix away. "Sorry about that. Yes, of course, I do. I expect you to have your statements prepared. Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Nigma. I'll take care of everything. You're welcome. See you tomorrow."

He hung up and sighed deeply, one of great exhaustion.

"Tired?" Phoenix asked.

"Very," Kristoph muttered.

"I know what would help." A huge stupid smile glued itself to Phoenix's face. Kristoph turned and glared at him.

"No," he stated firmly, "I have way too much to do. I still have five more clients I have to call before the end of the day and I have to look over all of this evidence."

"I could do that for you," Phoenix offered with a cheeky grin. Kristoph sighed.

"Not while you're in this state," he said, "I don't trust you while you're this… incited. Besides, haven't you heard anything about attorney-client confidentiality?"

Phoenix giggled and Kristoph rolled his eyes in response. It's not as though he had never dealt with a horny Phoenix before. But he had never been so dang _busy _at the time. And when Phoenix was determined to get something he wanted, he would get it no matter what Kristoph was doing!

Before Kristoph picked up the phone again, he looked over at his lover who was practically vibrating on the couch.

"Can't you just go to the bathroom and take care of that?" he asked. Phoenix shook his head.

"Uh-uh," he said.

Kristoph growled under his breath. That man could be so stubborn. He tried to ignore him as picked up the phone again. _Focus, Kristoph. Don't look at him or he'll feel validated._

"Good afternoon Mr. Lient," he greeted once the person picked up, "I was calling to inform you that we will take on your case. I will meet you at your place of business tomorrow at twelve to go over the finer details." As Lient started thanking him, he flinched when Phoenix snuck up behind him and started nibbling on his neck. Damn that man! "Yes, I'm aware," Kristoph continued, his voice slightly higher pitched than it was before, "No, I know where it is. Thank you, Mr. Lient. I'll see you tomorrow."

Practically slamming down the phone on the receiver, Kristoph spun around in his chair and shoved Phoenix away from him. "Damn it, Phoenix!" he hissed at him, glaring, "Do you have to do this now?"

"Yup!" Phoenix answered proudly, "But it can end if you do something for me!"

"No!" Kristoph snapped. He was determined not to reward bad behavior. He wouldn't want a repeat of this performance after all.

"Humph! I think you find paperwork sexier than me!" Phoenix suddenly taunted, "You have a paperwork fetish!"

Kristoph stumbled over himself, ruining a file he had been working on. "No! No, I don't!" he insisted, quickly taking the paper and running it through the shredder, "I-I told you, I'm just busy! I have a lot of work! Sooo much work!"

"Uh-huh," Phoenix pahed in disbelief.

Trying to hide his flusterdness, Kristoph shuffled his files and tried to calm himself. He could get through this. Phoenix would not rattle him. Phoenix would not-

"GAH!" Kristoph shouted suddenly, then glared at his companion, "Please stop humping my leg, Wright."

"Aw, I've been demoted to Wright now?" Phoenix asked innocently as he unlatched himself from Kristoph's leg, "I thought you loved me!"

"You'll be called much worse if you don't leave me to my work," the blond grumbled as he picked up the phone again.

This next phone call would be tricky. He knew this client could be very testy. He would have to choose his words very carefully. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number.

"'Bout time you called me back," Mr. Gruff growled into the phone, "You know I don't like being kept waiting."

"Of course, Mr. Gruff," Kristoph said, trying to keep the nervousness from his voice, "I do hope you will allow me to represent you. I have all the evidence I need to get you exonerated and you would have the best defense attorney in the entire- YEEP!"

He was cut off when Phoenix wormed his way onto his lap and took his earlobe in his mouth and started lightly sucking on it.

_Damn it, Phoenix, _Kristoph thought angrily in his head.

"What's going on?" Mr. Gruff grr-ed, "What was that sound?"

"N-Nothing!" Kristoph stuttered, trying to push Phoenix off without making a sound, "A-Anyway, as I was saying, I've already found all the evidence to prove your innocence, so if you would like to meet sometime tomorrow to go over it?"

"Good," Mr. Gruff said, "I expect you to be-"

"GOD DAMN IT, PHOENIX, GET OFF OF ME!"

Phoenix had moved on to grinding his hips down on Kristoph, who's patience was rapidly running out. But that was also bad news for his chances of securing Mr. Gruff as a client, who didn't like being yelled at. There was a loud click as the man hung up without a word.

Cursing, Kristoph slammed the phone down and shoved Phoenix off him. Phoenix nearly hit his head on the edge of the desk, but he managed to catch himself in time. Kristoph glared down at him, nostrils flared in enragement. One could easily imagine steam coming from him. Phoenix had never been so scared and turned on in his life.

"K-Kristoph, I-"

"Phoenix," Kristoph interrupted in a surprisingly calm voice, "I told you how busy I was. I told you time and again that I didn't have time. I told you no. But still you persisted. And now you've lost me an important client. Simply because you couldn't control yourself."

Ashamed, Phoenix looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Kris," he murmured, "I just thought you could use a break. You said you didn't even eat lunch. Sometimes I really worry about you and how hard you work. I'm really sorry."

Immediately, Kristoph's anger started deflating. He let out a long sigh. "I know you worry, but I'm fine," he assured him, "I promise. I just wish you could've been a little more considerate today. I would've satisfied you when we got home, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry," Phoenix sighed. He snuggled up to Kristoph and gave him a sweet smile. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kristoph replied, letting out a deep breath. Phoenix snuggled him more.

"Enough to do me now?" he asked excitedly.

Kristoph sighed, annoyed.

**This was just a silly thing that I thought would be funny for Phoenix and Kristoph. I guess you could also substitute Edgeworth in for Kristoph as well. Anyway, next short is actually going to kind of connect to this one! Yee! In the meantime, please leave a comment!**

**Also, because apparently this has to be said, I DO NOT give permission to rewrite ANY of my works in ANY WAY, even in the comment section and have characters be replaced by someone's shitty OC's. You know exactly who I'm talking to. Also, to my fellow fanfic authors, if you have been harassed recently by a certain someone in this way feel free to report them. All you have to do is click the little triangle button next to the person's comment and submit a report. Together we can stop them.**


	11. Relax a Little

**This next short takes place shortly after the last one but is a lot more serious. Don't expect a horny Phoenix to lighten the tone here.**

**11 – Relax a Little**

Phoenix and Kristoph didn't always stay over at each other's houses. Sometimes, for whatever reason, they would stay separate from each other for a couple of days. But then the desire to see each other would become too overwhelming and they would need to be with each other.

It had been two weeks since Phoenix had seen Kristoph. Ever since he had gone to Kristoph's office to try to bone him, Phoenix decided to let his lover have a little space and wait for Kris to call him when he was ready. But now it had been two weeks and Kristoph hadn't responded to any of his texts.

Something was definitely wrong.

They never went this long without seeing each other, let alone texting or calling. Even when they had their spat about holidays they still saw each other regularly. What was going on? Was Kristoph angrier about that incident at his office than he let on? Well, after two weeks Phoenix was tired of waiting to find out.

On Monday, Phoenix decided to go to Kristoph's office. He hadn't seen an obituary in the newspapers or any media, so he knew he wasn't dead. If Kris refused to see him at his office then Phoenix would know for sure that he was avoiding him.

When he entered the office, everything seemed normal. It wasn't nearly as busy as the last time he came to visit. The other lawyers seemed a little on edge though, and Phoenix wondered why. He approached Kristoph's personal office and his secretary lit up.

"Oh! Mr. Wright! Thank goodness you're here!" she sighed, "Maybe you can talk some sense into him! We've been so concerned about him! He- well, you'll see." She pressed a button on her phone to call into the office. "Mr. Gavin, Phoenix Wright is here. I'll send him right in."

Giving her a confused look, Phoenix headed in.

At first Phoenix didn't recognize Kristoph's office. There were papers and books everywhere, thrown in random places, all over the floor and furniture. Kristoph was at his desk, staring at his computer, but he didn't appear to be typing anything. His eyes were half open and red, with dark rings under them. His hair was unkempt and unbrushed.

Phoenix gasped and rushed to his lover's side. "Kristoph! What happened!?" he exclaimed.

Kristoph blinked slowly before turning to Phoenix. "Oh hey," he murmured, "Back again so soon? What's it been, a day?"

"It's been two weeks, Kris," Phoenix corrected, his heart dropping into his stomach. Another very slow blink.

"That can't be," Kristoph mumbled, "That would imply I've been here the whole time…"

"As far as I know, you have," Phoenix pointed out. Kristoph's eyes slowly drooped closed. His breathing was rather shallow.

"Wh-What happened?" he wondered.

"That's what I want to know," Phoenix sighed, "Kris, have you been working this whole time? Your employees are really worried about you. _I'm _really worried about you! Have you gone home at all? Or slept? Or eaten?"

"I-I don't…" Kristoph couldn't even finish his sentence. He struggled to sit up and look Phoenix in the face. "Look, you don't know how busy I've been. I have a lot of clients I need to help and with this damn trial system I don't have a lot of time. I can't afford to waste it on things like sleeping and eating."

"But Kris! Those things are necessary!" Phoenix argued, "Look at yourself! You've completely stopped taking care of yourself! This is why you hired other lawyers in the first place! So you don't have to take all those clients on by yourself! They can ease your burden! Why did you hire them if not for this?"

Kristoph scoffed and turned away. Phoenix grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly, forcing him to look at him.

"_You're killing yourself!"_ he shouted.

Blinking slowly, Kristoph sighed deeply. "Maybe… you're right," he conceded, "I hate admitting when I can't do something on my own. I hate showing weakness. I don't know who I was trying to impress."

Phoenix leaned down and wrapped his arms around him. "You're not weak, Kris," he murmured in his ear, "You're one of the strongest people I know. And there's no shame in asking for help. It's what makes us human."

He helped Kristoph to his feet as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call a cab to drive us back to your house," he told his lover, "Then we can tell your employees to divide up your work. Ok?"

"M'ok," Kristoph mumbled, already half asleep on Phoenix's shoulder.

After calling a cab, Phoenix helped Kristoph out into the main room where he informed the other lawyers of what was happening. They seemed relieved that their boss was finally going home to get some much needed rest more than anything.

By the time they got back to Kristoph's house, the man was dead on his feet, so Phoenix had to haul him to his door and up the stairs to his room. He carefully removed Kristoph's shoes and jacket before laying him down in his bed. With a sigh, he left him there to get some much needed rest.

…

It was almost an entire day before Kristoph woke up. He still felt a little groggy but he was much more rested than before. Groaning, yawning, and stretching, he got up and shuffled to the shower, rinsing himself of the two week stench that had built up on him. He stood in the shower, letting the water run over him, washing away the stink and the sleep. When he was finally done, he stepped out and slowly dried himself and threw his clothes in the hamper. He went to his room and pulled on new clothes, still classy but casual, and let his hair fall naturally around his shoulders.

When he started downstairs, a delicious smell reached his nose. Using the banister to keep himself balanced, he slowly made his way down to the kitchen where Phoenix was at the stove/oven cooking… something. Whatever it was it smelled heavenly.

"I didn't know you could cook," Kristoph mused as he came up behind Phoenix and wrapped his arms around his waist. Phoenix turned his head and smiled at him.

"That's because you never let me," he teased, "You think because I'm a bum now I can only make frozen meals. But that's ok. That means I get to surprise you." He leaned back slightly to kiss his lover lightly on the lips. "I was actually hoping you would wake up soon. I've made a big meal because I knew you would be hungry and I didn't want this food to go to waste."

Kristoph chuckled. "I am," he replied, resting his chin on Phoenix's shoulder, "You treat me so well. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably keel over dead at your desk," Phoenix pointed out. Kristoph couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, probably," he agreed. Then he sighed. "I'm really sorry for making you worry like that. I guess I just got too caught up in my work and before I knew it time was flying by."

"It's all right," Phoenix told him, "As long as it doesn't happen again." He turned around to looked him straight in the eye. "I don't want to lose you, Kris. I love you."

"I love you, too," Kristoph murmured in reply, kissing him gently, "I promise I won't take on every case by myself anymore. Like you said, that's what I have employees for."

Phoenix smiled fondly at him. "That's all I can ask for," he said.

**I like Phoenix/Kristoph domestic fluff. I like domestic fluff in general. In case you couldn't tell. Now I have to look at my list o' ideas and decide which one I want to do next. In the meantime, please leave a comment! I appreciate it!**


	12. Yo Bro! Meet the Band!

**This chapter is going to be different in that it takes place before Phoenix is disbarred, so Phoenix hasn't met Kristoph, hence he is not in this chapter. Yeah, I know, an anthology story about Kristoph and Phoenix and one of them isn't in it? I'm crazy!**

**12 – Yo Bro! Meet the Band!**

Kristoph had practically raised Klavier ever since he was born, since their snobby, oh-so-perfect parents didn't seem interested in doing so. It had become clear from the moment Klavier could walk and talk that he was going to be different from the rest of the family. Their parents wanted Klavier to learn the piano, but instead he took up the guitar.

And it was all downhill from there.

Even though they came from a long line of lawyers, Klavier declared that he didn't want to be one and instead wanted to be a Rockstar when he grew up. When he declared this at a family reunion, it caused practically every family member to have a heart attack or panic attack.

Thankfully for the sanity of the family, Klavier eventually decided he would become a prosecutor after all, but he would not give up his dream of becoming a Rockstar. And because he didn't want his little brother to turn out like himself or their parents, Kristoph encouraged him.

Eventually Klavier earned his degree in Germany and also formed his band The Gavinners, instantly becoming a success. Which brings us to the day when Klavier decided his brother should meet his band.

Kristoph lived alone in his house with only his dog, Vongole for company. He often felt lonely, even if he wouldn't admit it, which is why, much to his own shame and embarrassment, he often went out to enjoy the company of women. These relationships never lasted very long, but at least they would keep him from having to sleep alone in his bed for a few nights.

Needless to say, he was not expecting the loud knock on his door as he quietly ate his dinner. Confused, he stood up and went to answer it. He was very surprised when his brother stood beyond the door in his full Rockstar get up along with three other guys he had never seen before.

"Yo! Kris, big bro! Been a while!" Klavier exclaimed, wrapping his bewildered brother in a hug, "Mind if we come in?"

"Um…"

"Great! Come on in, fellas!" Klavier pushed past Kristoph, leading the other three inside. They all looked ridiculous in their outfits, but the one that stood out the most to Kristoph was the one with torpedo shaped hair.

Or, at least, he _hoped_ it was supposed to be shaped like a torpedo.

"Uh, Klavier," Kristoph said slowly as the strangers made themselves comfortable in _his _house, "Not that I'm not happy to see you after such a long time, but who are these people and why are they here?" _And why do you look like that?_

"This is my band, bro!" Klavier announced, spreading his arms, "This is Eddy, our drummer. And Geo, our keyboardist. And Daryan, our bassist!"

So Daryan was the one with the shark get up and torpedo hair. Kristoph quickly cast his gaze over them before turning back to Klavier.

"I thought you were going to start taking being a prosecutor seriously from now on," he scolded. Klavier rolled his eyes.

"I _am, _bro!" he insisted, "I promise! I just wanted to get my band off the ground before I focused on my lawyer career! But I assure you as soon as we get going, I'll work on prosecuting." He grinned and nudged Kristoph in the side. "Besides, I haven't forgotten that you were going to be my debut opponent, ja?"

Kristoph sighed. "Ja," he replied, "Well as long as you promise you'll work hard at becoming a prosecutor, then I guess I support your decision."

Klavier broke into a huge grin and wrapped his brother in a warm hug. "Thanks, bro!" he said, "So, when's dinner ready?"

"Wait, what?"

…

For the most part Kristoph found Klavier's bandmates… tolerable. Eddy was kind of annoying with his high pitched voice and wild energy. Geo was definitely the most sane one of the group, remaining calm at all times. But the one Kristoph definitely didn't like was Daryan. He was so _grumpy _and _tense._ Kristoph also didn't like the way he kept looking at his brother.

"To tell you the truth, I wouldn't normally want to be part of a band," Daryan was saying as they ate dinner, "But Klavier was really convincing when he got me to join." He gave Klavier a fond look that unsettled Kristoph.

"Yes. Klavier does have that sort of charm to him," Kristoph murmured. The other members were eating their meal (tender cooked steak with potatoes, green beans, carrots, and a fruit cup with wine to drink,) while staring around at Kristoph's lavish home.

Kristoph would never admit he liked having guests in his house. He wanted people admiring his décor. What good was it if there was no one around to look at it but himself?

But then there was Daryan over there, barely touching his food, ("What is this rich crud? Who puts so much veggies with meat?" "Daryan! Don't be so rude!" Klavier had scolded,) and just chatting to his brother the whole time, ignoring Kristoph and his other bandmates. It made Kristoph want to kick the man out of his house.

But he would be kind. He could be patient. He could be tolerant. He would show this man he could be a gracious and humble host. Beyond being kind of rude, it's not like he had done anything really _wrong._

And then the bombshell dropped after dinner. Kristoph should have known Klavier came to visit him for more of a reason than just "to introduce the band." As soon as Kristoph served dessert of chocolate mousse, Klavier gave him a sheepish grin.

"Hey, um, bro? Is it all right if I ask a favor of you?" He was rubbing his neck and looking up at the ceiling. Never a good sign.

"I suppose…" Kristoph said slowly.

"So, as you know, I just recently got back to the country," Klavier explained, "And I've been staying with my bandmates here 'cause I don't have a place of my own. And I-"

"You're not asking for money, are you?" Kristoph interrupted.

"No! No! Nothing like that!" Klavier insisted, waving his hands defensively, "I was simply going to ask if I could stay here while I find a place of my own. Just for a little bit!"

Kristoph visibly relaxed. The way his brother was acting he had thought he was about to ask him to murder someone!

"Of course you can stay, Klavier," Kristoph told him, "I would never abandon you. Your home is my home."

Later that night, after everyone else except Klavier went home, Kristoph was in his bed, reading. He had set up his brother in his guest room, which was just down the hall from his own. As he read, he suddenly heard sounds coming from that room and got up to investigate.

As he got closer, he could hear talking. It sounded like Klavier. Who was he talking to? Kristoph pressed his ear to the door, trying to listen. He knew it was wrong, spying on his brother, but he just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong.

"…Well maybe if you hadn't been such a dick I wouldn't have had to move out," Klavier was saying, "You were kind of rude to my bruder." It took a moment for Kristoph to realize he was talking on the phone. "Actually, you kind of were. You ignored him and insulted his food." There was a pause then a sigh. "Yes, you did. Anyway, I'm not coming back. Forget it. See you later, Daryan."

As Klavier hung up, Kristoph quietly snuck back to his room.

**Eh, this chapter didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to. Oh well. Phoenix will return next chapter. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but now I can't remember. Anyway, please leave a comment!**


	13. What's it to You?

**Phoenix is back in this chapter! Did ya miss him? I know I did! Anyway, this short is going to get tense with a lot of angst. If you like anger and angst, here's your chapter. Also, there's a lot more swearing in this chapter, but that doesn't make it M-rated.**

**13 – What's it to You?**

Looking back, Phoenix would probably never remember what their fight was about. In hindsight, it didn't matter. All he knew is it had something to do with name calling, and Kristoph being a stuck-up stick-in-the-mud perfectionist, and Phoenix being a dirty, lazy, slob. He wasn't sure how the fight started either, but again it didn't matter.

"You know what, Kristoph? You can be a real ass sometimes!" Phoenix hissed at him.

"What? No nickname?" Kristoph scoffed in a fake hurt voice, as he lounged on his couch, his book all but forgotten, "Now I know you're really mad!"

Phoenix glared at him as he raised his book again. "Will you just pay attention to me for one second?" he growled.

"Why should I? It's not like you ever have anything important to say," Kristoph retorted. Rage built inside of Phoenix at those words, and what he did next was rather immature, but it made himself feel better for a moment.

He smacked Kristoph's book out of his hand, then threw his wine in the other's face.

Immediately, Kristoph jumped up, a look of pure outrage on his face. His face, hair, and clothes were covered in dark purple wine and the couch did not fair much better. Much of it was dripping onto the off-white carpet.

"_Wright! You ass!" _Kristoph screamed, "_Why would you do something like that? Do you know how much this will cost to clean!? Do you EVER think before you do ANYTHING?"_

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "You're such a fucking perfectionist, Gavin," he snorted in derision, "It's not like you can't afford the cleaning bill."

"That's not the point, Wright!" Kristoph hissed in frustration, "It's like you have no respect for other people's belongings! You just do whatever you want because you think consequences don't apply to you! No wonder you lost your badge!"

Those were the words that made Phoenix snap. Eyes flashing with fury, he lunged forward, punching Kristoph right across the face. The blond went down without even a yell, holding his cheek, and falling into the pool of wine.

Glaring down at him, Phoenix struggled to control his anger. His heart was racing and his breathing was harsh.

"You're so full of yourself, Kristoph!" he snarled, "Where do you get off, acting so high and mighty like that? You know that forgery had nothing to do with me! How _dare _you bring that up again? As if you've never made any mistakes in your life!"

Kristoph didn't respond at first, simply staring straight ahead and breathing hard. When he spoke, it was quiet and Phoenix could barely hear him.

"Get out," he whispered. Phoenix leaned forward.

"What?"

"GET OUT!" Kristoph shouted, sitting up, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Stepping back out of fear, Phoenix had never seen Kristoph so angry. Even though Phoenix stood over him, he was feeling quite small in Kristoph's fury. Backing away, he quickly fled the house before his former(?) friend could explode again.

He ran out to the street and hailed a taxi, quickly heading home.

Phoenix was so glad Trucy was having a sleepover at a friend's house because when he got back to his apartment he bashed the door open and slammed it shut once he was inside. He pulled his hoodie up over his head and tossed it on the floor. Not bothering with any cleaning rituals, Phoenix stormed straight to bed, though he wasn't sure if he would actually get any sleep tonight.

What right did Kristoph have to bring up his disbarment like that? Why, he had half a mind to restart his investigation into the forgery, which he suspected had something to do with Kristoph. Sitting up in bed, he leaned over and reached for his nightstand drawer. He pulled it all the way out and carefully set it on the bed. Then he reached back into the stand to open the hidden compartment there.

After he had first been disbarred, Phoenix made sure to keep all the evidence he collected hidden so no one would find it. He hadn't even told Trucy about it. He had been rather untrusting of everyone involved with the case, even old friends. Over the next few years of getting to know Kristoph he decided that maybe he was wrong about the case and stored the evidence away for safe keeping.

But he wasn't sure if he and Kristoph were even going to speak to each other anymore, so now was the perfect time to continue investigating, full speed ahead.

Satisfied, he put all the stuff back and laid back down. Tomorrow he would end things with Kristoph and nothing would stop him from ruining that bastard.

After about fifteen minutes of trying to fall asleep, Phoenix suddenly heard a click at his front door. He wondered if Trucy came home early, when he remembered that he had given Kristoph spare keys to his apartment. He heard slow shuffling steps making their way towards his bedroom.

There was a pause before a light knock on his door and it opened.

"Phoenix?" Kristoph's soft voice came, "Are you awake?"

"Mmph."

The bed sunk a little as Kristoph sat down on the edge. Then, a sigh. "Phoenix, I'm really sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have acted so… pretentious with you. I'm not even going try to excuse my behavior. You're my closest friend and my lover. I shouldn't have talked to you that way. I'm so sorry. If you don't forgive me, I understand."

Phoenix laid there for a minute, letting the apology sink in. _Damn it. _There goes that idea. With a heavy sigh, he rolled over and sat up.

"Kristoph, you're not the only one who should apologize," he murmured, "What I did was wrong too. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know what you're like and I shouldn't try to force you to change. And I _definitely _shouldn't have splashed you with wine. I'm really, really sorry."

The bed sank a little further as Kristoph pulled himself onto the bed and pressed himself against Phoenix. "Can we just put this argument behind us?" he asked.

"Of course," Phoenix replied, leaning against him.

They turned to each other and kissed gently before they both laid down. They were silent for a few minutes before Kristoph sighed.

"I'm not going to excuse my behavior today," he said, "I would never want you to think I was trying to pass the blame onto someone else. But I can say that my… uptight attitude and my need for perfection comes from my parents."

Phoenix rolled over in his partner's arms and looked at him. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

"My parents, and indeed my entire family, have always valued perfection," Kristoph explained, "Or rather what they perceive to be 'perfect.' For anyone with common sense knows there is no such thing. But before Klavier was born, I didn't really understand that. For seven years my parents drilled their version of 'perfection' into my head and I had no reason to think they were wrong."

He paused, as if to contemplate what to say next. "Then Klavier was born, and he rebelled against our parents and their ideals," he continued, "And I realized there was more to life than being 'perfect.' But I think by then it was already too late for me."

Phoenix scooched closer and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Kris, I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It's all right," Kristoph assured him, "If anything, I feel like it has made me a better attorney. And being the one who practically raised Klavier myself, I'm much more easy tempered and tolerant than my parents. If you had argued with them, they probably would have shot you."

"Wow," Phoenix felt dumb saying that, but that the moment it was the only thing he could say.

"I think it'll all be all right in the end," Kristoph said softly, "I just… have to learn how to be my own man. Not live in the shadow of my parents."

Smiling gently, Phoenix reached out a hand and softly stroked his cheek. "I don't know your parents," he started, "But I can assure you that you're already a hundred times better than they'll ever be."

Kristoph smiled at him. "Thanks Phoenix," he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Kris."

**Sorry that it's been a while since I've updated anything. I decided to update this first because this one would be the easiest. For those of you who are waiting for **_**Turnabout Prison**_**, I'm sorry to say you'll have to wait a bit longer. The chapter I'm on right now is a bit different than the ones before and it makes it a bit harder to work on. But I am still working on it as well as my other fics! Please don't lose hope! They well update sooner or later! Hopefully sooner. Anyway, please leave a comment and look forward to more!**


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